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NATIVE JUICE
SUMMER ISSUE 2020 • REALVEGASMAGAZINE.COM
our city gone dark.
By: Candice Wiener
AS A 5TH GENERATION FAMILY of our beloved
basis would actually come to fruition. That
estimated $576 million. Gaughan renamed
city of Las Vegas, NEVER in my lifetime did I
was our last dine in meal, unbeknown to us
the casino to South Point as a part of the
imagine or fathom that we would witness Las
that we would enjoy even up until now at
purchase.
Vegas’ neon lights go dark and our relished
a local venue. To date it’s been almost 7
Las Vegas Strip so desolate. On March 18,
weeks of casinos, restaurants and bars being
It’s also known that Michael Gaughan
2020, following Governor Steve Sisolak’s
closed with no definitive plan in place for
currently owns all of the slot machine
directive given the night before; our local
hope of re-opening and that brings us to
operations inside of McCarran airport. It’s
casinos were shut down for the 1st time
this issue’s Native Juice article spotlighting
unclear what year the Gaughan family took
since John F. Kennedy’s funeral back on
the Gaughan family. Michael Gaughan
over all slot operations at McCarran, but
November 25, 1963. I vividly remember it was
played many roles in the gaming and casino
as part of our Wiener family history, it was
St. Patrick’s Day and we were enjoying some
sector of Las Vegas. Gaughan opened up
a known fact that our late Grandfather,
corned beef and cabbage at our favorite
the Barbary Coast in 1979 at a cost of $11.5
Louis Wiener Jr. owned all slot operations
local pub with some friends. There was an
million and it set the precedent for all Coast
at McCarran for 20+ years prior to the
eerie sense of uncertain chatter among
Casinos to follow. Subsequently, Michael sold
Gaughan family. While we’re not 100% clear
guests discussing if any of us thought this
the Coast Casinos to Boyd Gaming in 2004
of the changing of hands and years that it
shutdown and closures of local businesses
for $1.3 billion. Then in July of 2006, Boyd
took place; McCarran is said to have over
that we love and support on a regular
sold the South Coast to Gaughan for an
1,300 slot machines in all of the terminals and